When Lloydminster Bobcats head coach and general manager Travis Clayton signed 16-year-old defender Daniel Hilsendager back in September, he knew he added a core piece to a young team with 16 rookies on the active roster.

“(Hilsendager) is everything we expected, if not more,” Clayton said. “You forget, sometimes, he’s 16-years old. He plays the game the right way, every game. He makes mistakes but his compete level is unbelievable. His desire to win puck battles, he’s a good addition to this team.”

Through 42 games played this year, the lanky defender feels his game has come a long way since his first tentative steps in the land of the giants of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

Hilsendager is developing into a giant himself, checking in at a robust six-feet tall and weighing a solid 175 lbs. He’s not your average teenager off the ice, or on it either.

“I think I’ve been doing pretty well this year,” Hilsendager said. “I’ve managed to keep my feet moving and that’s my main asset, my speed. I see the ice pretty well so I have to make hard, crisp passes. And just keep making smart plays out there.”

Hilsendager has also added a bit of flash and dash to his game. It’s not unusual to see him busting his blades up the ice to join the offence or lugging the mail into the offensive zone.

He wouldn’t have done that 30 games ago, but he’s growing confident in his play, and it shows offensive forays.

“You’re seeing it a little bit more (from him) on the offensive side,” Clayton said. “He’s rushing the puck a bit more and becoming more active in the offensive zone.That comes with playing more. He’s fun to watch.”

Hilsendager has three goals and seven assists. He leads the team in defensive scoring with 10 points.

Though the Holy Rosary student isn’t at the point of slapping the ol’ ‘beaver tail’ on the ice, he’s making his teammates aware of where he is inside the opposition’s blueline.

“I’m jumping up in the rush when I see a chance, and the guys are starting to see me more when I’m going into (the offensive zone),” Hilsendager said.

And he’s got a thumbs up from the coach, who also mentored the young blueliner for a short time when they were together with the Lloydminster Bobcats AAA midget team for seven games last season.

“We always want our weak side defensive jumping up and becoming active,” Clayton said. “They’re a big part of the offence nowadays because teams are so good defensively, you need to add them in the rush. He’s got a great shot from the point and he’s a great skater.”

The general manager doesn’t have a lengthy laundry list of issues with Hilsendager to work on, but the teen isn’t near a finished product.

“There’s always room for improvement,” Clayton said. “His defensive zone awareness isn’t where it should be and that can get better. Along with his strength and speed.”

To his credit, the skater in the No. 4 black and orange silks acknowledges such deficiencies in his game.

“I need to finish my checks and be better in the defensive zone and win every battle I can,” Hilsendager said. “Sometimes, my partner and I miscommunicate and we get into trouble (in our ‘d’ zone.)”

After going unselected in the 2016 Western Hockey League draft, Hilsendager spent part of this past summer at the training camp of the Victoria Royals prior to signing with the Bobcats.

According to Clayton, the defenceman may not be patrolling the blueline at the Civic Centre too much longer. That’s too bad, because the general manager sees him as a stalwart on the back-end for some time to come.

“(Victoria is) interested in him and I don’t blame them,” Clayton said. “We want him here to be a big part of this hockey team. He’s going to get a scholarship if he stays in the AJHL. There’s teams talking about him. He has options, and as a hockey player, you want to have options all the time.”

The Lloydminster native noted his parents want him to get a university degree because it’s something to fall back on. After all, there should be 50 plus years left of living when his hockey career is over. Still, he has goals and dreams on his mind too.

“Pro hockey would be sweet but I’m just looking to get a degree out of it and then, if I can, go pro after that,” Hilsendager said.

But one thing is for sure at the moment, he certainly enjoys where he is, and why wouldn’t he?

“He’s a hometown kid and he gets to eat mom’s cooking,” Clayton said. “He comes from a great family and I’m sure he likes playing for his mom, dad and friends.”

For his part, the Lloyd resident loves playing in town, just like he loves his mom’s cooking

“It’s great,” Hilsendager said with a laugh about his mom’s stove skills. “It’s always good.”

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